CELEBRATIONS erupted in Lockerbie this week after the announcement of the final £2.62 million in funding for the Old School Project.
The boost from the Scottish Government means the redevelopment project has now met its £5 million target.
The money will initially go to Dumfries and Galloway Council who will then top-up an earlier award of £774,755 made to the Lockerbie Old School Group in November 2021
The charity is driving forward the project to turn the Dryfesdale Old School Building in Glasgow Road into a new community wellbeing and enterprise centre, along with eight flats for assisted living.
Chairperson Jackie Moffat yesterday said: “I cannot begin to tell you how excited myself and my fellow trustees are with the news that the council have secured the £2.63 million funding for us.
“This marks a historic point in our journey, because as a result we have now achieved 100 per cent of the £5.1 million we need to bring the dream we have had since 2013 to reality.
“I would like to thank our key partners – Dumfries and Galloway Council, Cunninghame Housing Association and South of Scotland Enterprise with all their help and support. Without them and our other funders, none of this would have been possible.”
Cllr Katie Hagmann, chair of the council’s economy and resources committee, welcomed the announcement and said: “We are delighted that this significant project in Lockerbie has been awarded such a substantial amount of money from Scottish Government in recognition of its value to the local community.
“This is a reflection of the hard work put in by the committee of volunteers who had the positive vision of creating a shared, multi-use facility for the town.
“This will provide a much needed centre for wellbeing, enterprise and the arts. Extremely well done to all involved.”
And Dumfriesshire MP David Mundell, who was once a pupil of Lockerbie Primary School on the site, said: “It’s great that the project can now move forward after years of the Old School site standing semi-derelict. Well done to the team who have worked so hard over the years to make this happen.
“As a former pupil of Lockerbie Primary, who lived directly opposite the school during my childhood, I couldn’t be more pleased to see a building which played such a big and happy part in my childhood come back to life.
“I am really excited that after all these years the building, which holds so many memories for me and others locally, as well as having been the focal point of the police and civilian operations following the Lockerbie Air Disaster, will once again be at the heart of the community.
“I commend all those involved in the project to get it to this stage and look forward to working with the team to bring it to fruition.”
The project is one of 23 across Scotland receiving a share of a £27 million fund that aims to support projects in disadvantaged and rural communities across Scotland.
And the Lockerbie grant will be the second largest in Scotland.
Funding for the redevelopment project is also coming from South of Scotland Enterprise, the Holywood Trust, Magnox, Muirhall Energy, Robertson Trust and Pan Am 103 Trust.
